


Love is Blind

by BloodmoonDruid



Category: Warcraft - All Media Types, World of Warcraft
Genre: Blood and Violence, Cannibalism, Cross Faction Love, Death, Drugs, Enemies to Lovers, F/M, Implied/Referenced Domestic Violence, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, LGBTQ Character, M/M, Main Relationship M/F, Multi, Near Death Experiences, Other Relationships M/M, Peril, Slow Burn, Torture
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-17
Updated: 2020-04-20
Packaged: 2021-03-01 21:48:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 11
Words: 20,780
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23694154
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BloodmoonDruid/pseuds/BloodmoonDruid
Summary: A Slow Burning Cross-Faction love story about a mess of a Troll and a Night Elf Druid who's fate ends up in his hands (Original Characters set in the World of Warcraft Universe + Lore) It's a tale as old as time - Literally - I've been writing this for about as long as I've been playing Warcraft and my partner has inspired me to finally get it finished.I hope you enjoy this long, dark, and perilous journey for a pair of unexpected lovers.
Relationships: Original Character/Original Character
Comments: 16
Kudos: 15





	1. Chapter One

# `· Tirisfal Glades - Lordamere Lake ·´

Nothing in this dreadfully depressing world would ever convince Ahz that there could be a more perfect moment than the one in which he's alone to witness the sun rising above the horizon. The Troll has made it a personal habit to watch the spectacular cosmic display every day he could. Call it meditation if you want, but only at dawn can Ahz find a brief moment of inner peace in his otherwise chaotic life.

This morning is particularly brisk. A sure sign that Summer is coming to an end and Fall is on it's way. Which suits the Frostmane Troll just fine. Born and raised in the peaks of Dun Morogh's ice-capped mountains, Ahz has been acclimatized to even the most bitter glacial temperatures. So he’s more than comfortable in this weather, even in the light peasant clothing he is dressed down in. A loosely fitted sleeveless shirt hangs from the Troll’s broad shoulders. The dye on his shirt is a bizarre shade of dark purple, and Ahz couldn't remember where he’d even got it. But it hid the blood splatter stains well and that's all that really matters. Tattered brown pants with shredded rips worn straight through the knees let the breeze in, but Ahz didn’t mind. 

Silver strands of loose hair gust across Ahz's face, blown free from the long mane of the Troll's naturally-born white hair. It is long, untamed and falls unevenly down his back. He hastily sweeps back the tangled mess, tucking it behind his ears and letting it pour over his shoulders. 

With a few moments to spare before the sun's beautiful show begins, Ahz settles himself into his favorite seat along the shore banks of Lordamere Lake. Snuggling into the withering embrace of up-grown roots from a decaying cedar tree, Ahz slouches back against the barkless trunk and lets his gaze drift off towards the sunrise. Aside from the chirping birds in the distance, the lake is quiet and looks innocent enough. But that is the true beauty of dawn, it is able to hide all the corruption and flaws in the Troll's world so well. All with just a few smears of color across the sky.

On the horizon the sun slowly rises above the calm silky waves of the lake's water. Beautiful streaks of warm colors; reds, oranges and purples, stain the clear dawn sky. From the corner of his eye, Ahz admires the sun's grand entrance, all the while fiddling with what truly makes this daily ritual so 'relaxing'. From his pant pocket the Troll fishes out a hastily rolled joint, packed with a rare herb with some very 'interesting' properties. A plant originally found and grown in the distant snowy valleys of Ahz's homeland. 

By flicking at a tiny switch on an odd device Ahz had bought off a Goblin, he lit up the end of his joint with a pleased grin. 

The Troll rests the other end of the smoke against his lips, carefully maneuvering around the long set of sharply edged tusks mounted on either side of his jaw. He takes a long drag. Tilting his head back, with the tip his long pointed nose aiming towards a brightening sky, he exhales a thick noxious cloud of smoke

Puffs of smoke are sent swirling around Ahz's quickly dizzying head before they're whipped away with the soft breeze. By the time the sun passes through the horizon and the colors that lit up the sky begin to fade, Ahz is on the last drag of his joint. He lets his tired eyes slip closed and his body melt back into the comfort of the massive tree. Which to the very baked Troll, feels like a throne made out of fluffy clouds.

Of course that’s just the Shimmerweed talking.

As time passes the mind-numbing haze which encircles Ahz's drug rattled mind begins to fade. Perception slowly returns to him, along with the realization that the sun has climbed its way to the peak of its path.

Which means Ahz is going to be late for work.

Even with his head spinning, Ahz manages to stumble to his feet. His vision is still a bit hazy but he can still make out the cliff-side walls of the Ruins of Lordaeron. Hidden beneath that crumbling pile of rubble, is the Undercity. Ahz's home and one of the capital cities for the Horde.


	2. Chapter Two

# `· Tirisfal Glades - The Undercity Laboratory·´

A weaker man may be left cringing at the revolting stench of death and decay that floods out from the room at the end of the long underground corridor. But after many long years living in the Undercity there isn't much that can make Ahz's stomach turn. A short trip through the disgusting hallway and down a swirling flight of stairs, brings Ahz straight into the heart of the foul smell; a rancid run-down dungeon they called the Laboratory.

The main corridor serves as an underground prison and is nothing more than a long and narrow brick hall. It branches out into several more dimly lit paths. There is no floor, only shoddily constructed metal grates separating the Troll from the sludge filled sewer pits below. He is barely able to squeeze through the slender walkways with his large frame, but slowly he makes his way through the maze-like-dungeon. Ahz is always careful to step lightly, as most of the compound is suspended above the sewers on rusty metal grates, and they are untrustworthy at best.

Late again, Ahz moves as cautiously as he can through the narrow passages. He even holds his breath as he slips past the room his boss is usually working busily within. He can hear the voices of his employing superiors at his back. It seems as though the Troll was in the clear and will be successfully able to sneak by without punishment for slacking off.

But Ahz's sigh of relief may have come prematurely. He turns the corner down another identically disgusting prison hallway and places his bare two-toed foot against the makeshift flooring. It caves under the pressure of his weight, and snaps. Luckily for Ahz he is still standing. Perched right at the edge of where two of the metal grates connect. Frozen in disbelief, Ahz is left with one foot dangling off above an exposed sewage pit.

The fact that really irks him is not so much the unsafe working conditions that nearly landed him waist deep in revolting sewer water; it's the awful racket the floor makes while falling apart. Each thunderous boom of metal clanging violently against solid stone rings endlessly throughout the underground compound.

"Aww shit..." Ahz curses beneath his breath, wincing in frustration as the broken grate splashes into the sewer water below. 

Not only is Ahz going to get an earful for being late, now he'll have to sit through his boss’s screaming fit over the broken floor too. The last chance he has to save his ear drums and his sanity is to dash out of there before anyone notices him.

As he turns to leave his little accident at his back, Ahz is made painfully aware of the half a dozen curious co-workers who had pulled themselves away from their own work to hunt down the source of the noise that had just echoed throughout every inch of the dungeon. 

Each cruel glare from his co-workers burns like a fiery arrow straight through the stomach. Ahz has always felt socially awkward, and having this kind of attention is a fate worse than death for the Troll.

"I...uhhh..." Ahz is stunned and speechless. 

Before he has the chance to thoughtlessly blurt out something stupid, his boss bursts in. 

"Ahz!" The cloaked man snaps viciously at him.

It was almost funny to see how easily intimidated the massive Troll was with a simple word from one very small, frail, undead man. 

"Just what do you think you're doing?." He growls, stopping only inches away from Ahz, getting as 'In-his-face' as anyone half the Troll's size could possibly be. From beneath the black, bloodstained hood Ahz can vaguely make out the furious scowl on what is left of the man's rotting face.

"Well ya see....I uhh, was uh..." With no justifiable excuse, Ahz just trails off, mumbling like a moron. The herd of Forsaken employees have closed in on Ahz, and are now gathered behind the boss to get a front row seat for their least favorite co-worker’s public humiliation.

"What a dolt."  
"Don't tell me he was late, again."   
"Cassius should just fire him already."  
"No kidding..."  
"You're telling me. I'm so sick of cleaning up after an incompetent, brain dead, Troll. Just watch I'll be the one who has fish out the floor board."  
"Just your luck."  
"It's bull--"

"GET. BACK. TO. WORK! All of you! I don’t pay you to stand around and gawk." The roar from their boss silences every other voice in the room. The smart ones sulk back to their rooms quietly. While the more obnoxious Forsaken continue to take shots at Ahz from under their breath before wandering back towards their work. "Except for you..." Their boss; Cassius, picked out the loudest mouthed Undead from the bunch and gestured for him to return. Like a dog on a short leash, he obeys. "Since you so kindly volunteered for the job..." His boney grip is far stronger than it appears, as he sends the delinquent toppling over himself into the open sewage pit. With a pridefully cocky grin, Ahz watches his coworker plummets face first into the sludgy water below. "Clean up this mess and maybe next time you'll think twice before opening your mouth." 

Ahz laughs at his coworker’s misfortune and brings about his own. 

“There is nothing funny about this. You should be embarrassed to come in here, late, and make such a disruption. Get in my office! Now!” Cassius’s command is silencing.

For the most part, the relationship between the two goes unspoken. But Cassius is more than just the boss of Ahz's day job. 

He is Ahz's foster father. 

Whenever Cassius is questioned as to why exactly a successful Forsaken Doctor would waste his valuable time and gold on a pathetic orphaned Troll like Ahz, he'd always make the same tasteless joke. "Free slave labor." He'd say. But deep down Ahz knows he just has his heartless reputation to protect. 

Truth is Cassius pays him a living wage for his work, puts a roof over his head with a nice warm bed to sleep in, and growing up was sure to always give him decent meals. (As decent as the grub in Undercity gets, anyways.) Ahz owes a bigger debt to that man than he could ever hope to repay. So when Cassius decides to chew him out in public, Ahz always holds his tongue. After all, the Doctor has to keep up appearances. Wouldn't want anyone thinking he's gone soft.

"Take a seat." Cassius motions to the chair centered before his office desk. Eyes glued to the floor like a nervous child preparing for a scolding, Ahz slowly mopes his way to that chair and sinks down. Almost identical to every other filthy room in the prison, Cassius private office isn’t much to brag about. The only difference is the floor is stone and the sewer smell is just a little less offensive. 

Cassius slides off the hood of his robe, letting the warm candle light illuminate his withered face. Half of his bleach white skull was exposed, framing an empty eye socket, while loose discolored skin clings to the other side. The whole rotting undead corpse thing used to make Ahz really uneasy, but nowadays the sight and stench of decaying flesh is just an everyday occurrence in Ahz's life. And thankfully Cassius is one of the better ones.

"It's time we had a serious discussion about your future." Cassius says as he leans in and props chin up against his thin bony fingers.

“Wouldn't you just rather yell at me ‘bout breakin’ da floor?" His question is met with a cold dead stare.

"Ahz..." Cassius sighs. "The floor is the least of my concerns right now. You were late. Again. That’s the third time this month."

"I lost track of--"

"I don’t want to hear it.” Cassius has already heard every excuse Ahz has dreamt up. “My superiors are coming down on me about all the special treatment I keep giving you. The gold I'm paying your wages with could buy two Forsaken laborers, who I guarantee would work twice as hard as you. And they wouldn't show up late every other day!"

Melting further back into his chair Ahz sighs, "So...yer firin' me den?" 

"No...not yet...But this is your last chance. You're not a child anymore, I'm getting sick of all your screwing around." This is the first time Ahz has ever felt so uneasy about his job security. It’s not the only work Ahz can get, but it’s the only work he has that's safe and keeps him fed. He’s never really considered what he would do without the steady income he’s had.

"Alright alright, I get it. I ain’t gonna be late again.”

“It’s meaningless, you told me the same thing last month!”

The Troll groans, knowing he’s told Cassius this several times more than that. 

“I can’t keep covering for you. You need to take this seriously.”

“Lately it’s been real hard to take anything seriously.” Ahz admits a rather sad thought that has been on his mind lately. 

But Cassius has no interest in hearing about Ahz’s feelings, or his excuses. “You need to get back to work.” And with that Cassius passes over a ledger outlining Ahz’s duties for the day. “I expect you not to leave today until that list is complete. And I expect you’re on time tomorrow.” Cassius is sure to look Ahz in the eyes as he adds a final, “And sober.”

“Aw com’on!” He stumbles to his feet, doing very little to prove his sobriety on the way up. “How can anyone do dis stuff sober!?” The duty ledger lays out hours of the grotesquely grueling work that goes into maintaining an army of decaying corpses. It’s cruel, sometimes sadistic. The Doctor has tried to reassure Ahz many times before. He’s tried his best to convince Ahz ‘ _it's all for the greater good_ ’. 

But no matter how Cassius tries to spin it, Ahz can’t deny the feeling that the Alliance would call what happens here immoral war crimes.

“Everyone else I employee seems to manage just fine.”

Trying to explain why that’s a problem to Cassius is a lost cause. So Ahz resigns and takes his leave.

Just as the Troll is rushing from the tiny Office, Cassius yells back to him, "This is your absolute last chance!" He can only hope that reiterating that point would get it to sink into the Trolls thick skull. "Don't screw this up.”


	3. Chapter Three

# `· Tirisfal Glades - The Undercity Laboratory·´

"Over an hour late. Wow...is that a new personal record?" Ahz doubted the existence of a more miserable Undead then Cassius... until he met this guy. "Pathetic!" Spits Mirth; Cassius's personal assistant, and the biggest pain in Ahz's ass, ever since the day he was adopted.

Slowly the disgusting husk of what was once a man limps towards Ahz. What is left of his flesh is black with rot, and the exposed muscle looks like it is melting from his frail bones. Always a repulsive sight to behold, but one Ahz is accustomed to. The two of them have spent more time together than either of them ever wanted. Mirth had been assigned the unfortunate task of teaching a much younger Ahz to speak, read and write. He obviously wasn’t a very good tutor, since Ahz never knew the words to describe just how much he despised the old man.

"Jest so ya know, I be talkin' with Cassius. So I ain't late."

" _Just_ , Ahz!" The forsaken man snaps. "You have _just finished talking with Cassius_. It’s not a difficult sentence.” Ahz chuckles at Mirth's persistent need to correct his grammar. It wasn't his fault he had an accent, and no grammar lesson could fix the slur caused from having tusks in his mouth. 

"Jest sign here and I’ll be outta' yer hair." If Mirth had enough of his jaw left to show facial expression Ahz would be getting a horrendous scowl right about now.

"You ungrateful bastard!" Mirth curses as he takes a swing at the massive troll. With uneven glossed over eyes barely clinging to his skull, Mirth's hand-eye coordination is laughable. Ahz doesn’t even have to move his ledger to keep Mirth from landing a hand on it. 

"Grrr! Start showing me some fucking respect you useless brat!" Growls Mirth, shaking his head with disapproval. "All that, even after I picked out a very special case, just for you... Night Elf. Your favorite."

Night Elf? 

The moment those words left his mouth, Ahz's long lanky ears perk up and an unsettlingly sadistic grin spreads across his worn face. He could still picture the Elf bastard who orphaned him, as clear as the day it happened. His pestilent smirk forever burnt into Ahz's memory. 

This might not be so bad.

* * *

Despite nearly being fired, today is turning out to not be all that awful. Tolerating both Cassius and Mirth's abuse is just as much of a part of the Troll' s daily routine as eating, or sleeping, or smoking.

At any rate, the excess stress weighing down on Ahz's shoulders was soon to be vented off on whatever unfortunate Elf was awaiting him in his usual work room. It is always a fun surprise to find out exactly what would be waiting for him behind that door. Sure, he knows they are a Night Elf. But is it alive, dead or a bloody unidentifiable mess? Young? Old? Male? Female? Or maybe...just maybe, it would be the sharp fanged bastard who massacred his tribe. Ahz's heart flutters at the thought. To find him helplessly strapped down to Ahz's work table would be a dream come true. 

Now he's getting ahead of himself. As unlikely as it is, the thought brings a grin to his face as he finally reaches the right room in this underground labyrinth. 

Ahz’s sadistic smile quickly sinks along with his ears. For a split second Ahz even feels his heart stall when he’s hit with the realization of what exactly is lying there before him.

It’s a Night Elf.  
That much Mirth was honest about.

But this is not something Ahz will enjoy. It’s just a small elf girl. Thin and sickly looking, clearly no threat to anyone. And definitely not a murderous warrior of the Alliance. Somehow Ahz finds a way to _justify_ what happens here, when it happens to a soldier or an assassin. Someone dangerous and murderous. Someone who deserves it. But that’s not always who ends up strapped down to a table in the Forsaken’s laboratories.

Does this girl deserve it?

Somehow Ahz doubts it. 

And that’s what makes him so upset. He turns his back and takes a moment to ask himself. "Why me?" Mutters. He fights to clear his head as echoes of Cassius's voice rattle his brain. ‘ _Don't screw this up_ ’

“This is already screwed up!”

He quickly looks back at the girl from over his shoulder. There she is, laying still, pale blue skin looking almost ghostly white in the dimly lit candle light. Her arms are chained up over her head, securing her to the stained table centered in the middle of the room. She hasn’t so much as squirmed, even after Ahz raised his voice, leading him to believe she might already be dead.

That’s probably for the best. He knows first hand how impossible her survival is. He knows because he’s tried to save someone once before…

About four years ago he helped someone escape from this dungeon and their awful fate. Alliance scum was almost all the same to him, but this one...she was so young and so...pretty.... But worst of all, this human was pregnant. It didn't get more innocent than that, and the Troll just couldn't bring himself to end two innocent lives. 

When they found out, they went out looking for her… 

And killed her. 

And even after that they still wanted his head for treason charges. And they would have no doubt gotten it, had it not been for Cassius and the strings he pulled in Ahz's defense.

Maybe if it was only his job on the line the Troll would have considered making that sacrifice for the Elf girl's life. But the choice is a simple one since Ahz isn’t eager to attend his own humiliating public execution for treachery against the Horde.

Ahz just needs a moment to remind himself of all that.

After a deep centering breath Ahz is ready to get down to work. He wipes the sweat from his forehead and sweeps back a few silver strands of hair that had been shaken loose from his mane. 

” If I had it my way..." Ahz speaks softly as he continues his work. “...Neither of us would be here.”

Sprawling along one of the shelves that lines the small cell is over seventy rounded glass jars. Each is filled with a foul viscous liquid, sealed tightly with a lid. The liquid shimmers with an emerald tinge in the light. Written across each lid was the name of a human organ, one that is soon to call the jar its new home.

Ahz can name them all from memory. He knows what order to remove them in, to tortuously keep someone alive the longest, and of course he knows exactly how to end their life the quickest. The Troll is, after all; a veteran of his profession. Although, it is days like this that truly make him dread his career choice. 

At least he can use those skills to ensure the little Elf will not suffer. Nor would she ever suffer again...

After ensuring everything is in perfect order and ready for use, Ahz returns to the bedside of his next victim. Ahz leans over the table, and brushes away the scattered mess of tangled hair from the elf's pale, lifeless, face in a way so delicately you'd think he is tampering with fragile glass vials. Drawn like a bug to the flickering light of a blazing fire, Ahz reaches out to caress her soft cheek. 

There were sometimes days that went by where Ahz would feel as cold and dead as the Forsaken he dwelled among. And other days, where his gut would be wrenched by a moral crisis that threatened to drown him in repressed emotions. Today was one of those days.

It has been awhile since Ahz last felt this kind of searing pain in his chest. He always does his best not to think about it. Not to let it overtake him. Cassius wonders why Ahz doesn’t want to do this sober? Well the drugs sure help repress the self-hatred. But today, right now, looking at this girl with an unjust death sentence, it was all too much.

When he looks at her, someone else comes to mind. And it hurts like a punch to the stomach. He buries his face into his palms and softly whimpers, "You'd be so disappointed in me, Taelieah..." It hurts to even say her name. The name of a girl whose memories claw at his heart.

His little sister...

Along with everyone else from Ahz's tribe, his little sister was torn from his life by that fanged bastard and his murderous gang of genocidal Night Elves. 

How twistedly ironic was this? The elf girl's fate now rests solely in Ahz's hands. Was he destined to become the same as the one person that he truly despises? Would the Troll be lingering in her family's nightmares? Would they curse his existence, and hold with them the same consuming hatred that Ahz felt for that Night Elf man?

“Dis way too much to deal with" Ahz drags his fingers back through thick, greasy, hair; stressfully yanking at the frayed ends of his mane. Compared to the pain of these memories tugging at Ahz's heart strings, the burning at his scalp is therapeutically pleasant.

"Oh gods...I need some fresh air or somethin’. " Ahz mutters to himself. "Cassius would understand-"

And then it clicks for Ahz.

Cassius. That deceitful son-of-a-bitch. He is behind this entire mind-fuck. He knows all about Ahz's traumatic childhood. He knows about his little sister. And Cassius is the only one who truly knew just how devastated the Troll is by her tragic death.

Ahz just can’t understand why his foster father would knowingly torture him like this. Is this supposed to be some kind of sick test? Or is Cassius just hoping that this depraved stunt would send Ahz right off the edge of which he is already dangerously close to falling from.

"Bastard!" White hot anger surges through Ahz's. And the feeling of betrayal overshadows all the stupid, sappy heartache.


	4. Chapter Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CW: Implied non-con

# `· Tirisfal Glades - The Undercity Laboratory ·´

Long boney fingers curl tightly around a stunning gold pocket watch. Cassius lovingly runs a single digit across its polished surface. Proudly engraved on the golden trinket was the familiar emblem of a lion. With the click of a button the top casing springs open to display the beautifully handcrafted clock face. "It's been over twenty minutes." He mutters impatiently.

Mirth replies with condescending laughter, "Well maybe the brainless twat didn't even notice? Or well... He might not even care?"

"Oh no, trust me on this. It's exactly the kind of thing that would set him off."

A sinister thought swirls around Mirth's head for a moment before he replies with a sly smirk, "I bet you...ten gold coins, that Ahz runs off with the little bitch. You remember when he pulled that same stunt before. Wouldn’t surprise me if he tried it again. He never learns. "

"How could I possibly forget that mess?" With a growing smirk stretching across his withered face, Cassius replies, "He was young and stupid. Do you really think he'd risk his neck for a Night Elf, of all things? You have to give Ahz a little more credit than that."

"Yeah right!" Mirth spits. "He's worthless. Why you'd put your name on the line for that idiot is beyond me."

Cassius holds his tongue. His feelings for Ahz were his alone. Mirth would never understand. Hell, Cassius barely understood. "Alright Mirth. I will buy into this little wager of yours, as long as you're willing to up the stakes a bit."

"Oh, and what were you thinking?"

"Twenty five from both of us. Bringing the grand total up to fifty gold pieces. And on top of that, if you win you can have an entire week of vacation."

"Wow..." Mirth is intrigued. He hasn’t had any real time off for years, and although fifty bucks is a lot to risk on his pathetic salary, this deal is too good to pass up. "But what if you win?"

Cassius hadn't given that much thought. "Well...If I win...you...Oh I know! You have to sincerely apologize to my foster son." He smirks quite content with that punishment.

"Apologize!? To that little shit? I don't think so." Mirth hisses, crossing his arms in protest.

"So you're willing to pass up the opportunity to take a long relaxing holiday, all because you're not willing to suck it up and tell Ahz you’re sorry for always being so draconic?"

Mirth grinds together what little remained of his teeth as he contemplates his decision. 

"Brewfest is right around the corner, isn't it? I hear Durotar is just gorgeous this time of the year. We both know just how much you love a tall, cold Ale. Ah...and just think of all the beautiful women-"

"Alright! Alright! You bastard..." Reluctantly Mirth lurches forward in his chair, and extends out his sickly thin arm. As does Cassius and the two seal their bet with a sturdy handshake. "You're on. Hope you're ready to lo-"

"CASSIUS!" The Trolls furious growl demands attention from the two men sitting across from each other in the cramped office quarters. "What is dis? Some sorta sick joke?" 

"Yeah, something like that." Mirth answers with a stale laugh.

"I ain’t askin ya!" Ahz barks. "Now shut yer fuckin mouth before I shut it for ya." Mirth is taken aback by such a blunt threat from the usually timid Troll.

"Now Ahz." Cassius slowly rises to his feet as he begins to speak, with the slightest hint of a condescending tone in his scratchy voice. "Calm down. There is no reason to get so worked u-eek!" The split second the cloak around Cassius's shoulders was within range, Ahz's powerful grip was wrapped around it. He forcibly yanks at his adopted father's robes, dragging the frail old man over his desk.

The Troll towers over him. Looking up from between a set of tusks, Cassius suddenly finds himself speechless. And even if he can find the right words, his cloak is rung so tightly around his throat that Cassius can’t gasp for enough air to manage even the most pitiful whimper.

"Dis is pretty twisted. Even for you sick freaks." Ahz snarls, bearing a view of the razor edged fangs in his mouth.

The Troll is so blinded by feelings of betrayal and feverish rage he doesn't notice Cassius weakly grip his bicep. The Undead man's arm is trembling but he still manages to dig his bony little fingers enough into the Trolls arm to catch his attention. "Bastard..." Curses Ahz beneath his breath as he loosens his deathly powerful grip on Cassius's throat.

"Ahz...Let me explain-" Cassius is finally able to force a few words from his dusty dry lips. But the Troll gives another mighty roar to silence the old man.

"Shud'da fuck up! Can't believe I trusted you." To think he ever looked up to a man who could be so cruel to someone he claimed to care about. "Pffff!" Ahz huffs, carelessly tossing the helpless Undead man back into his chair. Mirth leaps to his boss's side to ensure all his pieces are still in tact. Cassius is a tad shaken to say the least, but he knows he deserved it for tugging at his foster son’s delicate heart strings.

"You thick headed oaf! You could have broken something!" Snaps Mirth.

"Oh, I'll show ya broken!" The Troll threatens, swatting towards what is in his opinion an expendable ally. Oh how he'd love to splatter mirth all over the-

"Ahz please!" Cassius's pleading crashes Ahz's violent train of thought . "I know you are upset, but you have to understand I only did what I did because...I...well...I care about you." He grins unsettlingly as Mirth fights back the hysterical laughter he could feel brewing.

For a moment Ahz looks as if he has a fowl retort. But his hardened expression fades to one of dumbfounded confusion as his already overheating brain tries to comprehend the true depths of what was just said. "Forcin me ta murder some innocent girl...." Ahz slumps back into a chair opposite Cassius as he mutters, "Dats how you show ya care?"

Cassius sighs, "No Ahz, you just can't see the big picture. Look at how many years you have pissed away doing nothing but sulking around, just because of something stupid that happened two decades ago."

"Stupid?!” Ahz can’t stand how belittling Cassius can be. "You think my family bein’ massacred is jest a stupid, little bump in da road?”

"Would you listen to me damn it!?" Pinching the bridge of his nose between his thumb and his finger in frustration. "I know it hurts, and you can trust me when I say I know it will never stop hurting. But you can't let it consume your life."

"What da hell da you know?"

"Just when I think I've heard you say the stupidest thing possible, you go and open your big mouth again." Unimpressed with Ahz and his persistent ignorance , Mirth feels compelled to interject. "You think we don't know what it’s like to feel loss, boy? You have no idea what me or Cassius have been through."

"I ain't no idiot." Ahz grumbles, fighting back the urge to go over there and shove those words right back down Mirth's throat.

"You sure could've fooled me." Mirth insists on getting in the last word. Which is a mistake. The only thing his witty comeback accomplishes is wearing down on Cassius's patience.

"Shut up!" Cassius snaps, "Both of you just shut up!" Mirth obediently grows silent and sinks down into his chair.

Ahz isn’t as easily subdued . He crosses his arms in protest and casts Cassius an ugly scowl. "Ya know ‘dere is alotta times you’re right about stuff Cassius, but dis ain't one of ‘dem. What happened ta my family is fucked up. And I can't jest forget ‘bout it. I ain't heartless like you.”

"So you think I am heartless?" Cassius isn't offended, more so he is shocked that this is the very first time he's ever heard Ahz accuse him as such.

"It’s heartless ta kill her."

Silence falls over the room. Cassius leans back into his office chair, resting his bony fingers against his dry, decaying lips. With brutal honesty in his voice, Cassius begins once again, in hopes Ahz will finally understand. "Her death breathes new life into potentially hundreds of people. The blood alone saves-"

The sudden crash of the Trolls fist against the carved wooden desk hushes Cassius and his rambling. "I know all dat! Murderin’ someone, no matter how many others it saves, is still murder! And murderin’ a girl who ain't done no wrong is heartless."

His foster son is right about one thing. No matter how they try to spin it, Cassius and the job he does daily was murderous. "But Ahz...she's just a Night Elf. Surely her life is less than that of the Horde's finest warriors."

"I hate ‘dem elves. Took away everyt'ing I ever knew n’ loved. But... I can’t say her life is worth less than my sis’der's." The depressing reality of that poor little girl's fate is starting to crush Ahz beneath it's burden. 

"Oh for the love of-" Mirth croaks with a roll of his eyes. "You bleeders and your damn feelings. It makes me sick." He scoffs. "How about this? You get your ass back in there and do what you're paid for...or you're fired."

It is the lack of an objection from Cassius that really sends Ahz over the edge. "Fine ‘den!" The Troll proclaims, rising to his feet and never taking his eyes away from Cassius's stern, unchanging expression. "I quit!"

"Oh Ahz..." An exhausted sigh echoes throughout the room as a frustrated Cassius hides his face in his palms. "I really wish you hadn't said that."

"JIMMY!" Mirth's sudden shriek startles Ahz. "Get in here!" Curiously Ahz cocks his head to the side as he observes another forsaken man grudgingly limp his way into Cassius's office. 

Jimmy is a notoriously sadistic employee of Cassius and unfortunately someone Ahz associated himself with even outside of work. Not because he wanted to, it’s not like they were friends or anything. Ahz would insist it's only because they both often ended up working the same job here together, and both doing Mercenary work on the side for a local ‘trader’.

There is no doubt that this man lives up to his cruel reputation when he walks into the room with a satisfied smirk on his face while splattered with blood. He is wearing what was once a white apron. But it was long since tainted with the blood of countless victims. In his hand he’s holding a freshly used blade, which Jimmy proceeds to wipe clean against his apron, adding yet another stain to the collection. He wears it with such pride, as if the matted smears of crimson are all badges of honor.

Mirth rudely pushes past the Troll to join Jimmy at the doorway. "Room nine. And Ahz was even nice enough to get her all ready for you. Isn't that right, boy?" Mirth turns to the Troll and grins an ugly, self-satisfied grin.

"No! No fuckin way!" Ahz curses. "’Der ain't no way I'm jest gonna stand here and let ya torture dat poor girl." Ahz clenches his fist until his arm starts to twitch from all the pent up rage. Finally, with a reluctant huff Ahz turns to Cassius and says, "Fine...I'll do it... But only if ya give me somethin’ ta put her out for good. Painlessly. She doesn't need to suffer." Ahz glares furiously towards Jimmy and Mirth, and lets out a low, intimidating growl.

"Well where the hell's the fun in that?" Jimmy priggishly taunts. His eyes are large and soulless, with a twinkle of instability that accents his psychotic grin so nicely.

"Der ain't no fun in murderin’ innocent girls." 

"Mm, no. You're right. The real fun is fucking them. Then doing them in." Jimmy snickers his morbid retort.

"Ya sick son of a bitch! I told ya I ain't puttin' up with that shit from you anymore. Why I got half a mind ta kick yer sorry ass right now..."

"And that's all you got." Mirth can’t resist jumping in on that one. Sometimes Ahz makes it too easy.

From the looks of it his foster son is about to start throwing a fist or two Mirth's way. And as much as he would deserve it, Cassius didn't really feel like having to sew him back together. So the Doctor leaps to his feet as fast as his rickety old bones would let him. "Now, now children." He begins with a drawl condescending tone. "Play nice."

"Cassius..." Ahz growls, "I swear ta da gods, one of des days I'mma kill dat bastard." He shoots a cold glare at Mirth as he makes his threat.

"I know." Laughs Cassius, bitter and stale."Just don't do it while I'm around, okay?" He rests his hand comfortingly at his foster son's back. Surprisingly that small gesture helps calm the Trolls blinding rage. "I don't want to clean up the mess." Cassius adds with a smirk. The Doctor had this way about him. He always seemed to so easily extinguish the burning flames of any conflict. 

It's subtle, but Cassius knew how to manipulate almost anyone to see things his way. Ahz wonders why they didn't just give the man a diplomatic title and send him off to moderate a war council. The Troll bets Cassius wouldn't need more than an hour alone with the World's leaders before he had them sipping tea together. His powers are more evident now than ever, as with just one joke he cooled everyone's steaming tempers. "Come now. Mirth, Jimmy; it's time you both got back to your work. Ahz, follow me and we'll get something for your assignment."

Mirth still looks grumpy, but only because he is pissed over losing their bet. Damn Cassius and his charismatic genius.

"Oh...and Jimmy..." Cassius speaks with such innocence, there is no predicting the nettled hiss which came next. "I am just going to pretend I didn't hear what you said earlier. But so help me; Sylvanas, if I ever catch you with your dick in my 'material', I'm going to cut it off!" There is that word again. The way Cassius says it sends a slight shiver down Ahz's spine. Then his mind drifted back to that little girl… She doesn't deserve to be 'material' for the Forsaken to stitch together. 

"I'd like to see him try." Jimmy scoffs the very moment his boss is out of earshot.

Him and Mirth sluggishly pace through the endless maze of prison corridors in silence for awhile, before Mirth nervously asks, "You...uh...you mean yours still...uh...works?"


	5. Chapter Five

# `· Tirisfal Glades - The Undercity Laboratory·´

Only Cassius and a handful of other important Forsaken Doctors owned a key to the lock that clings so desperately to this door’s latch. Knowing that makes the venture all the more interesting for Ahz. He feels like a kid with a pocketful of change, impatiently awaiting for a shopkeeper to open his candy store. 

Cassius's withered fingers curl around a brass keyring. He slowly thumbs through a vast collection of keys, quickly examining each unique one in a search for this door's match. It is excruciating. Ahz is still stressed out from the whole dreadful ordeal, and watching Cassius fiddle with those damn keys is driving him mad. 

Suddenly Cassius plucks up a certain one from the bunch and holds it the flickering torch light. He peers at it inquisitively with his single dry, bloodshot eye. After a few painful moments the Doctor shakes his head, muttering something indistinguishable before going right back to tediously combing through his key ring.

"Damnit Cassius! Knock it off!" Ahz roars, slamming his fist against the door angrily. "I know yer jest tryin ta get on my nerves. But what I don’t know is why?"

"Well, look at the way you're acting!" He replies coldly. "You never deal with your problems. You'll either blow up like you did today..." Cassius glares up at Ahz. The Troll stubbornly crosses his arms and huffs. In Ahz's mind, his actions today were totally justified. Cassius set him up and he felt completely betrayed. "...or you just run away." The harshness of Cassius's words are drowned out by the shriek of the heavy, rust coated door that he finally unlocks and swings open. The Doctor pushes his frail shaky arm out in front of Ahz, bringing the Troll to a halt before he even makes it through the doorway. "Don't touch a thing!"

Torchlight pours into the long and narrow storage room. The walls are lined with thin, rickety shelves that spread from the dust covered floor to the cobweb coated roof. Hundreds, maybe even thousands of bottles, jars and vials in various shapes and sizes populate the shelves. Some were labeled and packed full of pills and pressed tablets. While others contain mysterious powders and liquids.

"I know it's hard for you my'boy. I really do..." Cassius explains as he steadily paces into the cramped room. "...But you can't keep letting it get to you like this!

"So wadda'ya want me ta do? Jest forget 'bout dem? Pretend it never happened?" Ahz pouts immaturely. "Not likely. Love ta see ya try and jest get over seein’ yer own family get splattered all over da place." Cassius's and Ahz's gaze meet for a moment. And in this brief second of weakness, Ahz sees a familiar look of sorrow and regret in his 'father's’ eye. Noticing this himself, the Doctor is quick to look away from the perplexed stare coming from his foster son. "Cassius!" Ahz scolds in a hiss. "Don't tell me dat ya been lyin’ about not rememberin’!"

The old Forsaken man's glum sigh is drowned out by the grotesque crack from the caps of his worn knees as he kneels down to examine a bottle from one of the lower shelves. Ahz stays silent out of respect, all the while eyeing a few of the more interesting concoctions that are bottled up and aligned on the endless shelving. There is an unusual chill in the air that has gone unnoticed until Cassius gives away his little secret. The Troll is terribly impatient, so it is no surprise as to just how much awaiting Cassius's confession is wearing down on his already frayed nerves.

"I can remember some moments of my life... The important things anyways..." The doctor's weary voice lacks its usual confidence. "My wife's hair was curly and bright red. As red and bountiful as the fresh berries she'd bring back for me from the fields. She made wine...I think. Either that or we just drank a lot of it." Cassius tries to force a laugh, but it comes out sounding so fake. "My son was cursed with her curly hair. He hated it, but we thought it was cute."

"Oh...uh...you had a uh...a son?" Ahz stutters in complete disbelief. They've spent more than a decade as a 'family' but this is the first time he's heard about Cassius's real family  
"What happened to ‘dem?"

Cassius brushes himself off as he struggles to climb to his feet. He grunts painfully alongside the ‘snap’ of his brittle bones shifting into place."Well, my wife passed away long before any of us had to worry about a plague. She was pregnant with our second child. There was some sort of complication... be damned if I can remember any of the details, just that there was a lot of blood. Her blood...and I uhh..." He pauses and fumbles with a jar of suspicious liquid he had snatched up from one of the lower shelves.

Ahz struggles to feel even a shred of mercy for his old man. "How dare you preach at me 'bout gettin’ over my past and dealin with my problems, when ya can't even finish a sentence. And den ya expect me ta go and end dis girl who look jest like my sis’der? Gods damn you, dats sick-"

"Shut up!" Snaps Cassius before Ahz let that word slip. "I botched it, okay! Is that what you want to hear!? I fucked up, and killed not just my wife, but my unborn child. Happy now, Ahz?"

"No..."

"I'm no hypocrite. I don't dwell on their deaths and I surely don't let their memories consume me. I'm not still mourning. Sure, it pissed me off to think about how I screwed up! But you got yourself so worked up you were practically crying-"

"I was not! "

"-And why? Because some Alliance brat just happens to have pointy ears too. Ha! I didn't make it this far in my profession by getting all teary eyes every time a pretty redhead wound up on my table." Throughout his rant, Cassius finds himself a clean syringe in the messy storage room, and fills it with a crystal clear liquid from the glass jar he had previously selected. The doctor holds the large needle elegantly between two fingers as he continues, "If the only way you can get past your issues is by drinking yourself stupid or frying your brain on drugs, then maybe..." A very stern look spreads across Cassius's withered face. He looks up at Ahz and firmly states, "...this place isn't right for you. And I don't just mean this job. If you're not happy here in Undercity, you need to leave."

Ahz shakes his head. The seriousness of his 'father's' words sink in deep. But Ahz was happy here...at least he thought he was. "I...um...." The Troll’s mouth is suddenly so dry, forcing the words out is a challenge all on it's own. "I don't wanna leave, and I uh....don't wanna worry 'bout it for da rest of my life...."

"Then you should do your job" Cassius raises the needle oozing with poison showingly. "And if you can find some peace in that, maybe with her shall die all your deep seated fears and worries." If Cassius could go for ages without so much as once mentioning what happened to him and his family, why did Ahz have to be miserable?

"You have so much potential, if only you could just get past this..." That was what Ahz needed to hear. He cautiously plucks the syringe from his foster ‘father's’ grip. A satisfied grin slowly peeks its way out from beneath Cassius's usual scowl. "Inject that straight into a major artery in her neck, and it will stop her heart almost instantly."

"I really hope yer sure 'bout dis...."

"Of course I'm sure! It's a highly potent toxin, and I've given you more the enough to-"

"No no no. 'Dat ain't what I meant. I know yer right about dis” He shakes the hand holding the needle. “I mean da part 'bout bein’ able ta...uh...move...on?" He isn’t sure if that is the right word to use. Ahz never felt 'stuck.' Sure he thinks about his family a lot, maybe more than what was healthy. But wouldn't anyone in his position do the same? 'Oh well' Ahz thinks to himself. 'Cassius is smarter. He knows best.'

"I really do...care about you Ahz. You know I wouldn't steer you down the wrong path." That word and that kind of expressions and feelings are so foreign to Cassius, it almost sounds fake. But he loves Ahz as if he was his own.

"I trust you. But before I go ‘f’rough wif dis, ya gotta do one thing for me"

"Hmm? And what would that be?"

"Ya gotta tell me what happened to your real son."

"Ah..." Cassius pauses momentarily. "Well...he blamed me for what happened to his mother, and rightfully so I suppose. He left to serve for the Army of Lordaeron, and I never heard from him again. I pray that he met with a swift end, and never was unfortunate enough to cross paths with the Lich King. To think of him as a mindless slave for the Scourge..." Cassius shakes his head. The warmth of Ahz's free hand resting on the Doctor’s shoulders is oddly comforting for the emotionally detached old man.

"I'm sorry."

"There is nothing you have to be sorry about. It's all in the past. Now you need to get back to work my'boy. You have already wasted much time today. You'll be lucky if I don't dock your pay!"

Ahz laughs slightly at his 'fathers' bad joke. It helps clear the depressing chill hanging in the air. "Yah yah! I'm goin’!" Clucks the Troll as he heads for the door, loaded syringe in one hand and the other hidden away in his pants pocket.

"Ahz..." Cassius says, crossing his arms and feverishly tapping his boot against the gritty floor. "Hand it over."

"I dunno what yer talkin 'bout." Ahz cracks a grin. He is a terrible liar. Cassius needs only point at the single barren spot on the shelving to force Ahz to utter a sigh of defeat. From his pocket he reveals a rather large glass jar, brimming with tiny, tightly packed, tablets. Ahz recognized them to be powerful painkillers. Cassius had prescribed them to the Troll after he had gone through some major, life-saving, surgery. The doctor demandingly holds his decrepit hand open and Ahz reluctantly returns the bottle of mind-numbing bliss to its rightful owner.

"You won't be needing an escape like this after today. I'm sure of it."


	6. Chapter Six

# `· Tirisfal Glades - The Undercity Laboratory·´

Groggy and disoriented, the Night Elf groans faintly from the consuming pain that throbs through her shivering body. The pain is not not enough to keep her under its paralyzing spell for long, and awareness slowly begins to return to her.

Embarrassment is the first emotion to flood her drug hazed brain. She crosses her legs and clenches tight in an attempt to hide the shame of being in nothing but her underwear. 

Fear is the next feeling to overtake her. The Night Elf's heart starts to race wildly with the realization that her arms are tied down.

Answers to simple questions like 'Where am I?' and 'How did I get here?' are lost somewhere in the fog that clouds her mind. All she knows for sure is that this is not home, and that's where she desperately wants to be.

"H-Hello?" She whimpers weakly in her mother tongue of Darnassus. "Is anyone there!?" 

Only a dark haunting spirit lingers in the air. Dreadful memories of past sins are burned into the place in which those travesties have been committed. An aura of befoulment is left behind, to serve a reminder, or a warning, for those 'in-touch' enough with the heart-beat of the planet to detect such disturbances. In this room, all around her, is a thick cloud of vile corruption. A shiver grips her spine. In a place like this, being an empath starts to feel a lot less like the gift it’s claimed to be. She can feel all the lost souls bound to this mysterious place. And she fears soon she will join them…

* * *

Believe it or not, Ahz has enough brains to realize that he's been manipulated. But arguing against Cassius is always a losing battle. His stomach still feels queasy when he thinks about being forced to murder some poor, innocent, girl. But it brings him a sliver of comfort knowing he will at least get to do it mercifully. Unlike that sick freak Jimmy, who was the alternative. However; the smidgen of hope he had is blown away the moment Ahz steps foot inside his work room. He sees the little Elf's clenching together her legs and watches the shimmering streaks of tears running down her face. It’s all too clear that she is awake. And terrified.

The Night Elf hears someone at the door. She feels his presence enter the room and freezes immediately. The girl isn’t sure what to think. Should she scream for help, or accept her fate with silent dignity?

Ahz's guilt ridden heart sinks like a heavy stone plunging into the depths of Lake Lordamere . This would have been hard enough when she was unconscious, but now she’s awake...And crying. Ahz is such a sucker for a cute Elf and their tears. Normally it's the Blood Elf's suckering him into something with their teary faces, but even coming from a Night Elf it makes him just as weak. Why does she have to cry!? 

“Please don’t make dis harder den it has ta be.”

“Please.” She repeats back to him the word in Zandali. Her voice is small and shaking but somehow hits Ahz hard. 

Ahz is absolutely speechless. At first he assumes his drug rattled brain had just misheard her, but then she continues to speak coherent Zandali "Please don't hurt me!" She begs. 

Usually Ahz would have something stupid or inappropriate to blurt out in awkward situations like these. But right now he is drawing a blank. This is a first. It wasn’t often the Alliance strapped down to his table would start talking to him, and never before have they done so in his mother tongue. "I promise you, I've never hurt anyone. I’m not a part of the Alliance, please just let me go. I'm not a threat to you or the Horde." 

“Wait what? How do you know how ta speak like dis…?”

“I know many languages but I can’t speak like Orcs and the Common the others spoke was so broken...they don’t understand me and I don’t understand them...So please. Please tell them we’re not here wearing Alliance colors, we’re just herbalists. We never meant to cause any harm.”

“I’m sorry. But...dey don’t care…”

“But I’m innocent.” She insists. “We all were. Where is the honor in attacking us when we weren’t even armed? No one could even fight back.”

“It ain't about honor or politics.” Ahz knows there is no honor in this. Murdering a small flower picking Elf is going to be a new personal low. “All dey want is your blood and organs.” 

“What!? No!” The elf is left breathless from the wave of fear that washes over her. 

Ahz’s heart feels tighter too. “You shoulda fought back or somethin’. Dat was your only chance. I don’t know whatcha wanna hear but I don’t make da rules and da people who do, ruled you ta die.”

“Please.” Her voice cracks. “I don't want to die in this dreadful place.”

“I gotta tell ya da truth, I don’t wanna kill you. But if I don't do dis den someone else more cruel will. And if I helped you leave, it’d be considered treason.”

She didn’t reply at first, and in the silence all Ahz hear’s is his own heartbeat. Her lips tremble as she simply nods, with teary eyes, and says, “I understand.”

It seems to take her a moment to realize how close Ahz is. But when she does she flinches away and braces for what she now knows to be her inevitable fate. She’s shaking, looking so small and helpless Ahz feels like a big horrible monster in contrast. 

“I can put you ta sleep first, so it won't hurt.” A selfish promise that was more comforting to Ahz than it was of any comfort to her.

“I don’t fear pain or death... If you think your gods will forgive you for killing me, then do your duty. I cannot stop you.” 

Ahz is certain the gods stopped forgiving him a long time ago.

“But I am terrified of your plans to defile my body. What you’re suggesting is a crime against nature. If you must kill me, then do it. But please, just put my body in the forest where it belongs.” 

"It ain't my choice."

"But you're the only one here! Who else but you can make that decision!?"

"Erm...My boss. It's kinda my job..."

"Y-You're going to kill me for gold!?"

"No!" As if Ahz isn’t feeling guilty enough… "It ain't ‘bout dat-"

“I wish I had just died in that attack. They’d have probably just left me there...in the flowers…” her words dissolve into a stream of incoherent sobs and tears. “Please…” she begs.

Then, a single thought crosses Ahz's mind. And the weight of this epiphanic moment is enough to break him.

Ahz imagines what his baby sister's last words were. He wonders if she begged for mercy too...

How could that sadistic fanged Elf look down into the face of a harmless innocence pleading for her life, and only smile as he stole it away from her. The image of the sickening grin plastered on his face as Taelieah fell dead at his feet would forever be imprinted in the Troll's head, as clear as a photograph. 

Ahz refuses to become everything he despised. He will not desecrate his beloved sister's memory with such atrocious evil. His cowardice may be what doomed Taelieah, but this time he was not going to be so pathetic. Ahz makes a promise to himself things will be different for her. Even if it meant Ahz’s inevitable fate was a humiliating execution.

The Troll smiles slightly. "Please stop cryin’" He whispers, gently caressing her pale cheek. The Elf flinches with his advance, and rightfully so, but she calms as Ahz wipes away the tears staining her face. "You don’t deserve ta die. Especially here, like dis. I don't t'ink anyone deserves dis."

Throughout the whole conversation the needle Cassius had given him lingered in Ahz's hand with silent contemplation. He takes one last glance at it, and sets it aside. Turning back to the Elf, Ahz delicately removes the straps from her arms, and begins to explain, "Ya have ta listen ta me very carefully, and do whatever I tell ya. Ok?" The girl only nods in silent compliance. “You’re in one of da capital cities of da Horde. So we have ta be real careful, or we’ll both lose our heads. Got dat?"

An overwhelming claustrophobic feeling washes over her. Finally free of her binds she is able to clutch her knees and curl them up close to her chin, trying to find even a trifle of comfort.

"Dun freeze up on me now. You’re gonna have to be strong if ya ever wanna get out of here." She gives him a feeble nod. "Right now we're standin’ above dis big sewer system. Dats yer only way outta here."

"Through a sewer!?" She’s sick just from the idea of having to wade through sludgey sewage.

"Stop worrin’. Do what I tell ya and yer gonna be fine. It ain’t as bad as you think. Dis room is right on da edge of da sewer." He explains. "You’re small enough ta crawl along da ridge dat borders it. At da very end it takes a turn ta da left, den it ends at a drainage pipe. If ya can make it der wth' out da Forsaken who are workin' up above catchin' ya, den I can fish ya out at the other end. If you go da right way we’ll end up in a quiet, back street dat leads right ta my house. From der I can probably sneak ya out. Got all that?"

"Mmm yeah. I think. I have to crawl straight ahead, then take a left. Then we'll be free?"

"Ya, but you gotta' stay silent, or der gonna catch you." Ahz kneels down as he works on prying free one of the metal floor boards. "Come on den , let's go, we don’t got much time." 

Cautiously the Elf girl maneuvers to the edge of the table. Her short legs dangle off what feels like a dark bottomless pit. Slowly she slides off the side, superstitiously holding her breath till her feet make contact with the frigid metal grate below. 

She stands there looking lost reaching a hand out in front of her like she's expecting something to be there. "Where?" 

Ahz cocks his head to the side, confused by this odd behavior. He teases, "Over 'ere. Whadda'ya blind or somet'ing?" 

"Yes." Her unexpected reply puts Ahz in his place right quick. 

"Aw shit." The Troll rubs the back of his head awkwardly as he added, "Well, ain't nothing good to see 'round 'ere anyways. Jest give me yer hand and I'll help ya down." She blindly reaches towards the Troll's voice. Ahz takes her hand in his and pulls her close. "So...ya got a name?"

"My name is Serena." Clasping the Troll's hand with her own, she smiles just slightly. Her voice softly and honest, "I am so thankful for what you're doing for me."

Ahz's own smile grows with pride. "I'm jest doin’ what's right. And I promise dat I'll have you home to your family in no time."

Serena tries to remain optimistic, "I hope you're right."

"Don't ya worry. Your gonna be jest fine." Ahz reassures her as he helps her into the sewers below. She is small enough to easily find her footing along the slimy, narrow, ledge. "It'll be easier if ya crawl."

"Are you not coming with me!?" Serena calls back up to him, with anxiety hanging off every word.

"I'm too big to fit in dat drainage pipe at da end. I'll sneak out da front. Yer gonna be okay."

Although she’s so very uncertain, Serena obeys. Pressing forward is her only chance to survive this horrible mess, and she knows it. The Elf safely finds her way down onto her hands and knees, and crawls forward, as instructed.

"Good luck." Whispers the Troll. 

He is quick to cover her tracks. Ahz gets the floor board back into place, and rises to his feet. He lets out a deep sigh. He knows in his heart this is the right thing to do, but even so... he feels like he’s in way over his head. 

He prays to whatever gods would still listen to him, that Serena will make it through the sewer safely. 

Now he just has to make it past Cassius…

* * *

It’s the rusty, creaking, floor boards that gives Ahz away. He can’t even make it half-way down the hall before Cassius`s familiar growl is at his backside. "Ahz?" He calls out, sounding more pissed off than usual.

"Where the hell do you think you're going!?" Mirth chimes in. That man is like a damn dog, Always at Cassius's side.

"Damn it Mirth! Ya some kinda gay or somethin’? I mean, yer always hangin’ off my dad's arm. Makes me think." Ahz smirks cleverly as he turns around to witness the hilarious over-reaction to his statement. The two Forsaken men glare at each other with a fowl scowl written across both their pasty faces. Mirth crosses his arms in protest to the absurd concept. Yet even still he scuttles awkwardly away from Cassius. Well, as far away as two people standing beside each other in a cramped hallway can get, anyways. Ahz just laughs.

"Don't be a smart ass, boy!" Cassius barks. "Answer the man's question."

"I jest need a bit of fresh air. Dat okay with you?"

"You're such a whimp!" Mirth growls and storms off in a fit. Really though, he is just steaming about losing his bet with Cassius.

"Hm." Cassius isn’t as easily thrown off the trail. "You've only been in there for..." Briefly Cassius pauses to remove his golden watch from his pocket and checks the time. "...Seven minutes..."

"Uh well...I'm not done a'course!" Ahz hopes that Cassius will buy it. "But I feel sick. Dat may have been da hardest thing I ever done."

"I see. And aside from the stomach sickness...how are you feeling?"

"Uhhhhh... I don't really know." Ahz mutters in response. He isn’t sure what else he can say that would sound believable. He’s an awful liar.

"Go take a break. You deserve it. Clear your mind and come finish up. Okay?"

"Yeah, ‘danks." Ahz hastily spins back around and attempts to make his break for the exit. 

Before he makes it to the door he hears Cassius call out one last thing:  
"Ahz, I'm proud of you."

Why did he have to go and say that!? It hurts Ahz's heart to hear. He doesn’t have the strength to look back at his foster father. Even though Ahz knows it’s going to be the last time he’ll see him..


	7. Chapter Seven

# `· Tirisfal Glades - The Undercity Sewers ·´

Being blind has its perks. In her hometown, Serena would always receive extra special treatment. Kind kin would graciously let her hold onto their arm while guiding her around town. Her sisters would read to her every day, so she never fell behind in her studies. And her brother would always happily help cook her meals so she didn’t accidentally hurt herself. She felt like everyone was always looking out for her, so it was okay that she couldn’t always look after herself. 

The loss of her sight had heightened all of her remaining senses to a point in which she could identify a flower, just by the beautiful scent that lingers in its presence. She could hear even the most delicate whispers of the trees and the beasts of the planet. And with an inquisitive brush against something new and foreign, Serena can imagine most things clearly in her mind.

But right now she would gladly trade it all in to be anosmic instead. Tears form in the Elf’s eyes from the foul sewer stench. If there was anything left in the starved girl’s stomach she probably would have puked it up by now. The smell is that horrid. Disgusting grime cakes the palms of her hands and coats her knees. For a brief moment Serena questions if death would have been a more pleasant fate then this.

Serena shakes her head, banishing such negative thoughts. An attitude like that will do her no good. 

The unfortunate Elf is so caught up with her thoughts that she completely forgets about the turn she is supposed to make. By the time she notices it’s too late. Serena had swung out her hand expecting a stone ledge. Instead she finds nothing but air. Serena gasps, unable to stop herself from falling forward. Tumbling over herself, the little Elf goes face first into the thick, putrid, water below. Flailing madly, she struggles against the current and fights her way to the surface. Hacking up a mouthful of sewer sludge. She clings the ledge desperately as thick globs of green ooze drip down her panic-stricken face. The gunk clogs her nose and chokes her attempts to gasp for fresh air. She frantically attempts to wipe her face clean, but her hands and entire arm are glazed in the sticky slime.

Shrieking for help seems like a good plan, but she recalls what the Troll had said about being silent. Serena clenches her teeth. She is determined to survive. She won't let herself die in a sewer choking on slime. Even with weak, shaking arms she somehow manages to pull herself from the sludge.

"Serena?" She hears the Troll’s voice whispering from up ahead. "Ya alright?"

"No." Serena squeaks weakly. She wearily drags herself across the cold stone ledge, and somehow she makes it to the destination; the drainage pipe. Nasty run-off from the street trickles down the pipe that is hung above the stream of dense sewage 'water'. 

Ahz catches a glimpse of the sticky mess of an Elf. "Oh...did'ja fall in? Dat stinks."

"You're telling me." Whimpers Serena. She swats blindly in the direction of the Troll's voice, searching for her escape path.

"You gotta be more careful gettin in ta dat pipe. If ya fall ‘ere you're gonna get swept underneath. And drownin’ ain't fun. Trust me. Especially in dat gross gunk."

Serena is already coated in that sticky gunk. It smells like a nauseous concoction of rotting eggs and rotting flesh. And what’s worse is now she is horrified that this river of slime would soon become her grave. "I can't do it!" She suddenly shrieks in a panic. Desperate for comfort, Serena forces herself back, to snuggle herself tightly into the safety of the sewer ledge corner.

"Dammit woman!" Ahz curses as he viciously rips the metal grate that is protecting the pipe's entrance right off its hinges. "I ain’t gonna fit in dis 'ting!" Ahz scrunches his large nose as the stench from the sewer hits him. He really does feel bad for her. So he makes his best attempt to squeeze himself into the impossibly tight sewer entrance. The determined Troll manages to stuff one arm and half of his shoulder into the pipe before he yelps out in defeat, "Fer'fuck'sakes! I aint fittin’! Serena! You gotta climb up. I know you're scared but if ya don’t do dis, den you're gonna be trapped in dat stink hole forever."

The little Elf coarsely swallows down her fears, and once again tries to map out the path towards the suspended sewer pipe. Dainty fingers caress the stones of the wall, searching for a safe spot to cling to. Serena stretches out so far she nearly loses her balance again, but finally she lays hands on the extruding metal pipe. It’s quite a leap to the tiny escape tunnel from where she had been safely crouched. And she knows all too well what dreadful fate awaits if she were to fall. Even with all that lingering on her mind, the Elf girl still somehow finds the courage to jump. 

Clutching to the pipe's mouth for dear life, Serena's weak and tired arms slowly began to slip. At first it’s just the tips of her toes that dip below the sludgy sewer surface, but as Serena's grip weakens she’s dragged further down by her own weight. The steady trickle of sewage running through the escape pipe makes it nearly impossible for the elf to get her bearings. She keeps slipping and when she’s ankle deep in the 'water' she begins to really panic.

"I'm falling!" Serena shirks. She can feel the subtle pull of the current at her feet. It tugs at her toes, pulling her closer to the deathtrap that was brewing below. There is only a sliver of air separating the river of slime running under the exit pipe and its stone encasing. But Serena knows from her earlier unfortunate experience, that if she is swept beneath the surface and that gunk gets in her mouth or up her nose, that there would be no hope in ever taking another breath again. "Help me!" She cries out again. The vision of her foul death drifts through her head. "Please!!"

"I can't reach!" Ahz huffs, all the while trying his damnedest to wedge himself into the tiny passage. He even holds his breath in the vain hope that it will be just enough to let him squeeze an extra inch closer to the Elf in dire peril. Ahz swats desperately with his long, lanky arm. Praying he would catch onto her before she slips away.

"Serena!" He cheers as his hand brushes against the girl's sticky arm. Nothing could have been more relieving to Serena, then feeling the Troll's strong, reassuring grip. Putting all her trust into the strength of her Trollish Saviour, she lunges onto his arm with both hands.

Ahz grunts and drags her free from the sewer's slimy grasp. Once she’s safe he softly asks, "You okay?"

"No." The Elf replies timidly. She’s shaking and hugging herself tight.

"Heh," Ahz rises to his feet and dusts his torn pants frivolously. "Yer jest a bit messy is all. Yer gonna be fine!" The Troll helps Serena to her feet, and it isn’t until then Ahz notices their size difference. Serena is so small and scrawny, the tips of her ears don’t even reach his ribcage. Ahz is practically towering over her. Which only further reinforces the feelings of righteousness that came from sparing her.

She was no threat to anyone here.

If they faced each other on a battlefield she wouldn't have stood a chance against him. It wouldn't have been anything close to a fair fight; and therefore, Ahz could find no honor in killing her. 

Especially not just because Cassius demanded him too. 

"And...uh... jest look on da bright side. When you get back home your gonna have a hell of a story ta tell!"


	8. Chapter Eight

# `· Tirisfal Glades - Cassius’s House ·´

Sneaking through the alleyways and breaking into his own house is the easy part. Now the thing that really worries Ahz is trying to smuggle a Night Elf out the front doors of the Undercity. Thinking about it now, after all those old dreadful stirred up memories have settled, Ahz realizes this entire idea is completely insane, and suicidal. But as he looks over to the frail, shivering, Elf perching at the edge of his bed; with a sad smile forced across her scarred face to cover up her worries and fears, he knew any risk would be worth her freedom.

"Uh, where are we?" Pouts Serena. "This place kinda smells worse then the sewer."

"Aw, gee thanks..." Ahz scoffs, as he tosses the sewer drenched Elf a large rag for her to towel off with. "We're in my foster dad’s house. Dis is my room. “

Serena wipes herself down and ties the towel around her nearly-naked body. It’s sure better than nothing.

Her hands grazes across something she thinks at first is a blanket. But as she touches it and picks it up, she feels the stretch of a waistband and the lacey fabric. “And are these….panties? Your panties?!” She laughs, holding them up and stretching them out. They are certainly big enough for a Troll. They stretch out to be wider then what would fit on her little hips anyways.

“Wa--I...NO!” The accusation is so ridiculous it leaves Ahz stumbling over his words. He’s into some kinky things but wearing girlie underwear isn’t one of those things. “Some girl left dem here ok?”

Serena however, is not amused by the answer “Ugh! That’s gross!" She drops them and crosses her arms. 

“Yeah well, wasn’t really expectin’ company…” He huffs, ignoring her judgmental gaze as he shuffles through his cluttered room. Searching for what little of value he had to bring with him. The Troll isn’t sure where he'd even go, or how he’d even get there. All he knows is that he can’t stay here. Ahz fishes out a rugged leather pack from beneath his bed and stuffs it with warm clothing. After the clothing the bag is more than half full. Picking and choosing which possessions to keep, and which to abandon is a harder decision than the choice to save the Elf was.

Buried beneath a pile of filthy blood soaked work clothing is a rusty metal box. Ahz pulls it free from the mess and jiggles open the latch. Serena overhears the creaky hinges of the security box being forced open and her ears perk up curiously. "What are you doing?" She squeaks hesitantly, unsure if the Troll is still upset about her earlier comments.

"Really none'a your business." He peels off the top layer of papers to reveal the 'bottom' of the container. It wouldn’t be very convincing to anyone who's brain wasn't leaking out their ear, considering the fake bottom on the box was sitting only a few inches from the top rim. Just one glance would tell you that the box was much deeper. Ahz quickly thumbs through the stack of neatly printed notes. They were his adoption papers. He cringes, knowing just how badly this stupid stunt will ruin his relationship with Cassius. It is such a shame. Sighing deeply, Ahz carelessly tosses the papers over his shoulder, and lets them flutter to the floor.

"I know it's none of my business. I'm just curious is all..." Serena mutters sadly. "...It's not like I can see for myself..."

"Uuuuggghh!" Hisses Ahz as he cracks open the fake bottom of his lock box. "Stop makin' me feel bad. I think ya guilt tripped me inta plenty already."

"I'm sorry!" Her voice cracking with tears. "I didn't mean to make you feel bad!”

"All ya done is make me feel bad.” He huffs under his breath. Hastily astrew in the metal box is Ahz's stash of drugs: His Goblin-crafted Lighter, a canister of fuel, used needles he had swiped from work, premade rolling papers and last but not least, the intoxicating substances themselves. He keeps each of his drugs in their own separate tin. The Troll's beloved Shimmerweed was, of course, in the largest container. The other few tins were much smaller, and only contained some pills or trace amounts of strange powders left over from crazy, experimental, binges. But Shimmerweed is Ahz's one true passion. 

She looks up towards Ahz for a long, drawn out moment before turning away to wipe the tears from her face. He finds it a bit eerie looking into her open eyes. They resonate with this dim amber glow that melts Ahz's cold heart just a tiny bit more with each gaze. Looking into her eyes he could see the damage that had been done to them.  
"It's gonna be alright. So. Don’t look so sad."

"I can't help it..." Sniffles the Elf.

"But you’re alive! And soon yer gonna be back with your family. So don’t cry, ok?"

"It's not that easy." Serena dries her tears but the only thing that’s going to make her feel better is leaving this place.

Ahz doesn’t know how else to help, so he just goes back to packing. Awkward silence falls over the tiny bedroom. He packs his bags with what he hopes will give him the best chance of survival. 

"Now I think..."Ahz rummages through a pile of his dirty clothing. "...I got da perfect thing for you to wear, so we can smuggle ya outta Undercity without no-one suspectin’ a thing." Yanking a big, black, hooded jacket free from the mess, Ahz smiles proudly. "Aha!" The Troll thoughtlessly throws the hoodie back to Serena, all the while oblivious rambling on, "Jest wear dat and no one will tell yer an Alliance Elf! We'll be able to stroll right out da front doors." It isn’t until he turns that he realized how stupid of an idea it is to toss something to a blind girl. His shirt smacks Serena in the face and is left draping over her head. "Oops! Sorry." Ahz snickers.

"Ugh...It's alright." Huffs the unimpressed Elf as she peels the hoodie off her face. "Ewww!" She suddenly shouts after getting a whiff of what she is supposed to be wearing. "Oh my gosh! This smells worse then your room!"

"Errrr..." Ahz decides it would be best if he bit his tongue on this one. That was the usually cloak he wore when Cassius would have him go grave digging. "Smells a lot better den your stanky sewer bath tho" Ahz teases.

"Don't remind me..." Hesitantly she slips off Ahz's bed and sizes up the cloak.

"Heh, dats huge on you. Looks like a dress." Snickers Ahz. The nasty bit of clothing barely covers him, but she was practically swimming in it.

"Turn around so I can get changed into this lovely gown.” The sarcasm is thick and makes Ahz laugh

Serena just stands there glaring. Refusing to drop that sticky, ooze-covered towel that was wrapped around her petite frame, until Ahz gets the hint.

"Da hell you worried about,I already seen you in yer panties when I---"

"Stop!" Shrieks Serena. "Pretend that never happened!" Demands the Elf girl.

"I ain't winnin’ dis one...am I?" Sighs Ahz. "Fine, fine! Whatever. I ain't lookin..." Ahz says feeling very silly as he spins around in place, just to give the shy girl some privacy. "Not like ya could tell if I were lookin' anyways..." Ahz grumbles.

Clearly offended by his insensitive comment, Serena growls her retort angrily, "What kind of depraved pervert would peep on a blind girl!?" That sewer-stained towel plummets to her ankles the moment the Troll finally turns away. Reluctantly her ruined panties follow. As quickly as she gets naked, Serena squirms her way into the ratty, oversized cloak she had been given. It is ridiculously big on her. The hood slips down past her eyes and the length of it comes short of her knees. Sky blue tips of her ears perk out from rips that had been cut specifically in the fabric.

"I ain't peepin’!" Protests Ahz in his defense.

"Better not be…” 

They walk through the small room used to cook and eat in. Catching a glimpse of an old textbook being used to level out a broken leg on the rickety table that centered the room, sparks an idea in Ahz’s head. Obviously Cassius didn't care all too much about it, so Ahz is sure his old man wouldn't mind if he scribbles a good-bye note in it. And heck, even if he did care; Ahz is sure some stupid book will be the last thing on his mind after he finds out about the treason his foster son is guilty of. He flips open the book to an empty page and furiously scribbles out the words:

_I couldn't do it._  
She didn't deserve to die.  
I'm sorry Cassius. Please don't hate me.  
\- Ahz 

__

"Dat's everything I think..." Taking one last look around the cozy home his foster father so lovingly provided for him Ahz sighs.

"Shall we make our leave then?" Serena questions. She is waiting patiently at the front door. "I can't wait to get as far away from this place as possible." Looking over to her, a thin smile forces its way out from beneath the veil of depression that’s hanging over Ahz's head.

"Yeh! Me too..." Ahz, says as he kneels before the Elf. Without a word, he wraps his arms around her legs and effortlessly throws her over his broad shoulders.

"Eeeep!" She squeaks at the sudden disorienting movement.

"Dont'ja worry. Jest relax, go limp, and don't make a peep. They'll think yer dead. I'll walk right out da door wif you slumped over my shoulder. No problems."

"Are you sure that's such a good idea? Won't the guards wonder why you're dragging around a dead body?"

"Erm...it wont be da first time. My job was per'dy morbid." He can feel Serena tense as those words leave his mouth. "Relax." Ahz says. "You will be free soon enough ‘den ya never haf'ta put up with me again."

"Let's just go then!" Whines Serena impatiently.

"Ya, ya...." Ahz mumbles as he paces towards the door. Reaching for the door knob, Ahz's heart is sent into a nauseating flutter with the realization of what he has nearly left behind. Tucked away in their tiny, decrepit bathroom is a lone glass jar. Bottled up in this fragile container is a pile of pills. His chest tightened in a panic when he thinks of how close he came to leaving it behind. Just as Ahz eagerly snatchs up the bottle and tucks it safely into his backpack, Serena begins to whine again, "Aren't we leaving? I didn't hear the door open. Why are we still in your house?"

Ahz rolls his eyes and growls, "I forgot something, kay? We're leavin’ now. So shud’up and play dead!"


	9. Chapter Nine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> cw: asphyxiation ( a common CW too sorry in advance :x )

# `· Tirisfal Glades - Outside the Undercity ·´

It is the sweet scent of summer's last few flowers finishing their bloom, that tells Serena she is finally free from her waking nightmare. She knows how important it is for her to stay perfectly still and pretend to be a corpse, but Serena can’t help but utter a sigh of relief when the delightful smell of freedom and fresh air tickles her nose. Before now she never realized how much she took the clean air and the sweet scent of blossoms for granted. 

With the warmth of the sun on his skin and Lordaeron at his back, Ahz knows he was far enough away to drop their little ruse and let Serena walk for herself.

"Looks like we made it out per’dy easily." Ahz cheers happily, and softly sets the elf down. Serena brushes back the oversized hood and fluffs out her hair, freeing a tangled mess of feathery seafoam strands. Her hair pours down her shoulder like drizzling rain, and frames her round face.

"Thank you. You have my eternal gratitude....um...." Serena stares cluelessly up at the Troll shadowing over her.

"Ahz." He replies. "Jest call me Ahz. I dun really got a tribe name no more." That used to be his biggest worry. Being a sad tribe-less, Troll. Now he has more important things to worry about. Like where he is going to sleep, or what he is gonna eat. In comparison, dwelling on his last name seemed so trivial.

"Well...Thank you Ahz. You are my hero."

"Nah. Dun say dat. I ain't nuffin' special. I was the one who was suppose'ta kill you to begin with."

"But you didn't! You looked deep into your heart and realized that hurting me would only hurt you."

"Heh...ya..."Ahz rolls his eyes. "Mm' sure dats it."

"You should feel absolved! You did the right thing.”

"I've done so many fucked up things in my life....Savin’ you probably won't even make a dent in all my bad karma."

Serena goes silent and for a moment Ahz is worried he’s freaked her out now. Needless to say he’s left confused when she suddenly asks, “May I see your hand?”

“Thought you couldn’t see?” He laughs, but she doesn’t find it funny. 

Serena looks up at him with wide eyes that were vast and cloudy like a stormy sky. Beautiful, but damaged. The scars on her face are healing but hard not to notice. They draw Ahz’s attention right back to her eyes. 

Although Serena is not completely blind. Right now she can see the sunlight streaming through the tall trees, and over the Troll’s broad shoulders. The rest of her world is cast in shadows she can’t make out. She reaches out to him as she explains, “With my eyes I can hardly tell dark from light.”

The Troll humors her and offers up his hand. “Dat must be terrible. I’m sorry.”

With both hands she held his gently. “Nothing to be sorry for." With just one finger she begins to trace every line that runs through his palm. “I can still see a much more vibrant world in my head.”

The Night Elf never considered herself exceptionally skilled or extraordinarily blessed, but she does have a few natural abilities that have always served her well. Since being blinded she’s learned to use her natural gifts to help illustrate a world she could no longer see. Serena has always had a soft and empathic soul, and now more than ever her empathy helped guide her perception. Instead of reading the expressions on someone’s face, she can feel their emotions. And this Troll is a mess of emotions, they are practically radiating off him. 

“I can see you’re worried about where we’re going to go, and sad about what you’re leaving behind… And scared...” 

Ahz pulls his hand away from her and huffs. “Dat’s nonsense” he insists. “I ain’t scared.”

“I didn’t mean to offend.”

"Whateva’ kiddo, let's jest get goin'…” Ahz shrugs her off and continues wandering down the dirt path that winds through the Tirisfal Glades.

The Elf is dawdling behind “ ...I'm not a kid..." She remarks.

The Troll shrugs and replies mockingly, "Eh? You’re per’dy small for an Elf.” Adding ”And per’dy flat.” under his breath.

"Excuse me!? I'm not a child. I might be a newborn to my people, but I’m almost forty-four years old." She stops and crosses her arms with protest. "I’m sure that's older than you, Troll!"

"Forty-Four huh?" Ahz says as he leaves the not-so-little Elf girl in his dust. "Well dat makes me feel a lot better about dem dirty thoughts I keep having about your cute curves..." Ahz snickers moronically, But when no shrill retort comes from the easily offended Elf girl, it didn't seem as fun. Ahz curiously glances back over his shoulder. "What are you waitin’ for?" Serena is moping about, a couple of paces behind Ahz. 

"Wat's yer damn problem, woman?" Shouts Ahz. Undercity's rotting stench still hangs in the air. The walls that once proudly protected the fallen Alliance capital are still in view. They are far from safe. Ahz knows they needed to keep moving. Depending on Cassius's reaction, there might already be guards hot on their trail.

"You’re a pervert… " Serena shouts back.

A frigid, wet wind kicks up from the cold, dead banks of Brightwater Lake. Its icy touch caresses Serena's pale cheek. The gentle forces of nature usually put the Elf at ease. This place; however, is different. Everything seems wrong. It all puts off a tainted aura. Even though there are flowers along the path side that were at peace enough to bloom, Serena's empathic gift still warns her of the corruption and evil that lingers here. This place is just as miserable as the Undercity she had just escaped. And her 'Hero' isn’t doing much to stand out from .

"'Scuse me?" Ahz. "Ya got some nerve ya little bitch!" The Troll vents, as he storms towards Serena. His trimley muscled build is massive compared to her tiny Elf frame. And if she could see that she would probably be scared of him. “Ya should be kissin' my boots after what I jest did fer you!"

Serena may not be able to see the terror that is a pissed off, monster of a Troll, stomping towards her. But she can feel the aura of his rage spread like an infection closing in on her. Ahz's anger soaks into her soul and strikes a fearful shiver down her spine. Yet still Serena stands her ground, even as the Troll's shadow engulfs her. Her long dainty ears sink. "You are a real awful guy… I'm not a bitch. How could you say something so fowl to a lady!?"

"Listen princess! Yer daddy obviously didn't let'ja outta da castle e'nuff. But ‘ere in da real world, ain't no one gonna bite der tongue for ya jest cuz ya got tits. If yer actin like a spoiled rotten bitch...." A disgruntled gasp escapes Serena's lips, and should have been enough for a smarter man to stop while still ahead..."Den yer gonna get called out for being a bitch!"

"Watch your mouth you miserable Troll! You have no idea who you are even talking to!" Serena's shrill voice fills with the kind of uppity narcissism that further ignites Ahz's rage. "I don't need to take this from a...a..." She has gotten herself so worked up the poor girl is stuttering with anger. "...A filthy Hordie!!"

Ahz clenches his eagerly shaking fist. Glaring down at the loud-mouthed brat, he seriously contemplates cracking her skull with his bare hands. But even when he’s this pissed he won’t hit a girl that didn’t hit him first. 

"Just leave me alone, Ahz..." The Elf pouts, sulking off in the very wrong direction.

"Yer not jest gonna storm off! You owe me big!" Shouts Ahz, chasing behind her. Serena ignores him and continues to wander off blind and ignorantly. "An’ yer going the wrong way!"

Serena stops and spins back around. Ahz nearly runs her down, she stopped so suddenly. "Are you completely brainless?" Her words snap like a whip and leave a burn just the same. The Troll is used to being degraded by the Forsaken. They hated everyone, so Ahz never took it to heart. But it really enrages him to hear it come from the Alliance scum he just spared the life of.

Sometimes a mouthy woman needs to be put in her place... "I'm warning you! Leave! Me! A---Eee!" Ahz feels that this is one of those times. So he silences her incessant cries with a firm grip over her whiny mouth. Instinctively she howls out for help and squirms desperately. But before Serena can pull away Ahz's strong grip is around her arm. He roughly jerks her close. She lets out another muffled shriek as Ahz crouches down to meet her fearful face. The Elf's quivering hands shoot up to clench onto the arm clamping her mouth shut. Delicate fingers pitifully fight against Ahz's brawn, but the scrawny girl doesn’t stand a chance against the Troll's raw power. Which kind of makes Ahz feel bad. He doesn't want to harm her. He just wants her to shut up and keep walking.

"Yer real lucky I ain't no real Hordie!" Growls Ahz, looking down at the Elf from between his impressive set of curved tusks. "Cuz if I were Forsaken I would'a cut'ja ta bits before you even woke up. Never givin’ it a second ‘fought. Den dat would'a been it. You’d be dead! An’ I wouldn't haf'ta be givin’ up my comfortable life for n’ungrateful bitch!" Tears stream down Serena's panicked face. The Troll's harsh words leave Serena flustered and scared. "Now it ain't too late for me ta drag yer bloody body back ta my boss and beg for forgiveness. So it wud be in yer best interest to keep your yappy mou’f shut, and follow me!" Testingly Ahz releases his grip on the girl. She pulls herself away from the Troll and covers her own mouth, holding back the miserable whimpering gasps from her crying fit, for fear they may enrage him further, "Got it? Den start walkin’!" Commands Ahz. 

But the sniffling little Elf shakes her head 'No.'

"What!?" Overcome by the pressure of the day's anxiety, Ahz explodes in a roar, "Get'jer flat-ass movin’, or I’mma drag yer down dis road by yer little pointy ears!" It’s rare that the rather reasonable Troll finds himself this blinded enough by rage to make terrible decisions; like his next brilliant move...

Serena continues to show absolutely no compliance. She just stands there, arms crossed and tears pouring down her flushed cheeks. Having tolerated more than enough of her defiance, Ahz decides she needed some 'encouragement'. Without a word of warning, Ahz grabs the Elf by the scruff of her hood and flings her forwards at full force. She stumbles awkwardly before collapsing into the dirt. The troll growls and rolls his eyes at her unimpressive dramatics.

Still sobbing, Serena brushes the dirt from her legs. "I told you to leave me alone!" In further mockery of the Troll and his demands, Serena stays where she had fallen in the dusty dirty road and again she crosses her arms. A gesture Ahz is quickly growing to resent. Bitterly she sobs,, "You'll be sorry, Troll. You'll leave now if you know what's good for you!"

"Ooooh, I'm so scared of da little Elf girl! Please don’t drown me in all yer tears.! Ha!" Ahz mocks her sarcastically. But the light sarcasm in his voice fades into a much more angry growl as he slowly approaches Serena. "I ain't gonna lose my head jest 'cuz ya decide ta sit ‘der like a dummy and not---- Ooof!" Next thing Ahz knows he belly down in the dirt, staring up at Serena. Quickly propping himself up with his elbows, Ahz looks over his own shoulder to stare blankly at his own feet, trying to comprehend what had just happened.

"I warned you..." Serena's stern response catches Ahz' attention. His hazel brown eyes lower to a glare which never leaves sight of the Elf, even as Ahz makes his way to his feet.

"Yer gonna be sorry ya did dat....Watever dat was." The Troll's threats were fearless, and his confidence is more than enough to terrify Serena. Her sharpened ears can hear his approach and with his first step Serena scrambles to her feet. Their eyes met, and although her's are blank and empty, she still seems to look straight into him. Ahz knows she is planning to run for it. He can’t let her get away. The puny little thing won't last five minutes out in Horde territory alone.

Seeing an opportunity, Ahz pounces into action and lunges for Serena before she has a chance to slip away. But it seems as if the Elf girl is a step ahead of him. Serena ducks under his grasp and speedily darts out of Ahz's view. The Troll is left in utter disbelief. He must've been in worse shape than he thought if he had been so easily evaded by a helpless blind girl. They both spin around and once again their eyes meet.

"Leave me alone." Hisses Serena as she wipes clean the last of her tears. "Go away before I have to hurt you!"

Furiously, Ahz lets out an intimidating growl in true Trollish nature. He readies himself. by tossing his bulky leather pack to the ground. This time he put his entire body weight into his lunge. All two hundred and fifty or-so pounds come crashing down on the unexpecting girl. The two fly backwards and slam into the muddy slopes of the Lake's bank. Ahz is splattered with fresh, damp mud, and his ears are filled with Serena's frightened shriek. Had it not been for the soft, sloppy, muck cushioning the impact, Serena's delicate body may have been crushed under Ahz's weight. Now she’s pinned beneath him. Forcefully pressed so close to Ahz that she can feel the burn of his heated breath against her face. Imprisoned between a solid set of tusks, Serena feels helpless.

"Unless ya want me to break some’tin’ ya better stop resistin’ and do as yer told!"

"No!" You can’t make me!” Somehow the tricky Elf manages to squirm one of her arms free, and rebelliously plants it against Ahz's forehead. 

Before the Troll’s brain can catch up to what’s happening, Serena summons up her magical strength to defend herself. An incredible power strikes Ahz like a bolt of lightning. The muscles in his body tense at the throbbing pain that burn inside every inch of him. Ahz jerks back in confusion and clutches hopelessly at the raging fire that burns in his chest. He can’t find the strength to keep himself sturdy, and Ahz ends up collapsing back into the mud. Tears uncontrollably well up at the corners of his eyes from the mysterious pain that still now lingers in his joints. Ahz refuses to believe that the little brat actually had the power to bring him to tears. In between frantic gasps for the air that had been sucked from his lungs, Ahz manages to howl, "What da hell was dat!?"

She took the opportunity to scramble away while Ahz was stunned and is now perching atop the muddy slope, looking down at Ahz. "That's what you deserve for not heeding my warnings. You wouldn't have had to get hurt if you had just left me alone." The girl preaches smugly.

"Ya really are a bitch!" Roars Ahz in an outrage.. How dare she attack him, after everything he sacrificed for her. She hears the mud shift beneath his feet, and knew he was readying himself for another pouncing strike. Serena flinches, but as she does the enraged Troll's advance is abruptly halted. The arm he tried to swing up and aim for the Elf's throat is suddenly constricted and being yanked back down to the soggy ground. Ahz's rich hazel eyes widen with shock when he realizes what was happening. Long, thorny, roots were curling tightly around his forearms, binding him in place. More roots miraculously slither out from the murky depths of the barren lake. They curl their way up any part of the Troll that they can wrap around. The brambles dig into his flesh and tear gashes into his skin. "W-what da hell!!?" Yelps Ahz in the heat of panic. It feels like the more he struggles against his animate tuberous captor, the tighter it's grip got.

"I'm sorry...you should have listened..." The cold way she spoke, alongside the roots' persistent assault, is enough to strike a fear of death into Ahz's racing heart.

"No! W-Wait!" Ahz pleads, but the roots show him no mercy. Cold lake water soaks into his pants as he is dragged closer to the water's surface. His shivering arms are useless against the magical binds the thorny stems have him in. "Don't!" A thick vine curls slowly around his throat as Ahz takes what he thinks will be his very last breath.

Drowned in a puddle, by the very same Night Elf he gave up everything to save.

What a sorry way to go…


	10. Chapter 10

# `· ??? ·´

Ahz is in a place familiar to him. But at the same time it is a place he has never known. 

It’s darker than twilight. A haze hangs in the air. The surrounded landscape shifts the more Ahz tries to focus on it. The only constant is the river he’s standing in. And the waterfall before him.

‘ Jump ‘

A voice echoes in his head until it drowns out the sounds of rushing water. Covering his ears and shaking his head he once again refuses to comply. 

‘ It’s the only way ‘

Again, as always, Ahz refuses to listen.

When he opens his eyes a blinding white light consumes his vision. It’s all he can see now.

But he hears something. 

Laughter. 

They're all laughing. 

At him?

Of course. How can he blame them? He's a joke. A traitor. A failure. A dead man…

The light dims enough to make out his new surroundings. He's standing in front of friends. Well, that's what they were anyways. Now they are enemies. 

He's turned their back on them. He’s betrayed them. 

“Looks like she's the one that fucked you.” Jimmy’s obnoxious laughter is impossible to ignore. 

Mirth standing next to him, they’re both jeering at him. It’s embarrassing to know he’s proved them right... 

The only person Ahz wants to see is Cassius. And he's the only person he can't find in the crowd. 

His exes are there. Of course they’d come to see him die. Other faces in the group of onlookers are so distinct yet Ahz can't put names to any of them. A goblin with pink hair catches his eye. There are three Trolls he’s never met, but for some reason they stand out. They have green skin and smirks on their faces. Standing in the crowd are two blood elfs. One with longer hair then Ahz has, and one that’s much paler and wearing red with black. Curiously, standing beside him is a blonde human wearing contrasting gold and blue. This isn’t making any sense... There is another human in the crowd, he’s sure of it. She’s too cute to be a dead and rotting Forsaken, that’s for sure. She has a full head of wavy brunette hair and is dressed in tight leather armor. 

Ahz doesn’t even know them, but he wants to plead to them. He wants to tell them he’s sorry. He wants to beg to be spared.

Words escape him. He can't even move. Are his hands tied? He didn't know for sure, and it really didn't matter. There is no escaping from his fate now.

“Ahz. “ His adopted father is at his side. But it doesn’t bring him any relief to see his face. Cassius doesn't look mad... Ahz wishes he was mad… instead he looks disappointed. “I wanted this time for it to be different. But you're just like him. “

Ahz feels the racing beat of his heart as he tries to analyze the meaning of those heavy words. But they quickly melt away. He can’t remember what was said...

There is no time left to figure it out. The crowd demands retribution for his crimes.

His own foster father is the one to knot the rope around his neck. How the small Forsaken man can even reach his throat isn't something Ahz understands. Continuity doesn't matter now. All that matters is he's going to die. 

They want him to suffer. That’s what they’ve always wanted...

The rope is strung tight and chokes the breath out of him. He squirms hopeless and uses his last bit of life to reach up and claw at the noose. With his touch the rope slithers away like a slimy serpent. And Ahz falls into an endless black ocean of freezing cold water.

* * *

The oxygen deprived nightmare ends with Ahz’s waking reality feeling far more hopeless. He hacks up muddy water until his lungs burn. The feeling of the first breath comes as a relief. 

He's not dead. Not yet anyways… 

So much for gratitude. That little Elf girl obviously wasn't as helpless and innocent as she pretended to be. Once Ahz catches his breath, he looks around and sees no sign of her. Good. He hopes her and her crazy tentacle magic is long gone. 

The depression of defeat hits him. He pulls himself from the mud and stumbles to where he left his backpack on the empty path. At least no one is around to have witnessed that sad show.

Alone and aimless, he continues down the forest path. Ahz considers if it'll be easier to just stop, smoke a joint, and wait for the guards to find him. He's got nowhere to go, barely any gold to his name, and hasn't hunted for his own meal since he was a little kid. Public execution may be humiliating but it’s sounding a lot better than starving to death. 

It would be undeniable karma if his life ends in the same dungeon where he had ended so many himself. The thought scares him. And that’s not something Ahz will admit easily. Not a whole lot scares the Troll, the list is pretty short: Catching some kind of plague, facing down a huge bear, or giant spiders, or angry Troll chicks in heat. 

He fears the kind of stuff most sensible people do. But not a lot of people know what Ahz knows about the Abominations that stand guard at Undercity. Sure, it’s true that just seeing one of the terrifyingly grotesque monsters would be enough to top anyone’s list of fears. And Ahz has even seen the freaky things eat an intruder whole. Yet what really scares Ahz about them, is knowing how they’re made. The type of torture someone faces while being harvested by Ahz’s ex-coworkers is nothing compared to the endless agony endured by the countless souls stitched together to ‘bring life’ to a flesh construct. It was a fate far worse than death. 

Death is something Ahz can accept and even embrace. 

But Undeath and the fear of experiencing it is what keeps Ahz moving at a quick pace along the forest path, heading far away from Undercity.

At a time like this Ahz knows he should be worrying about himself. That’s why he can’t understand why his stupid brain keeps taking him back to that Elf girl. She manipulated him, and tried to murder him. He tells himself he doesn’t care…

He shouldn’t care…

But he’s only lying to himself. He’s convinced he can’t survive out here on his own, so what chance does a blind Alliance girl have? 

It’s obvious Ahz doesn’t know what to do. To help himself. Or to help Serena. He heads towards Brill with the hopes that an old friend there will have some good advice. She’s someone Ahz holds close to his heart, and has always helped guide him before. Although this time his troubles are way bigger than just a crazy girlfriend, he has faith she’ll know how to help him. 

She has to. She’s the only person Ahz has left.


	11. Chapter Eleven

# `· Tirisfal Glades - Brill ·´

Late summer days bring with them late nights and brisk chilling winds that blow through in the darkening sky . It’s not at all an appropriate time to be knocking on someone’s door. But this isn’t a typical social call. Ahz needs help and he needs it now. It shows in the frantic way he pounds at the door, while looking over his shoulder suspiciously keeping watch for anyone who may be watching him. 

He’s not sure exactly how long it will take for Cassius and Mirth to figure out what he’s done, but he knows when they do the guards will inevitably come looking for him.

The crooked two-story house is one of the few left standing in the small gothic hamlet of Brill. It’s a place with many battle-scars, but the Forsaken here are proud to still call it home. As made evident by the newest addition to their little town; a towering statue depicting their Banshee Queen, Sylvanas. Ahz looks up over his shoulder and sees her cold stone face judgmentally staring back down at him. Ahz turns to the door and his knocking starts to sound a bit more desperate. 

A loud creak, like the joints of old bones, squeals from the door as it's cracked open. “Quit it! You’ll wake the children!” Wheezes a bitter sounding woman before she even sees who's outside causing all the commotion. 

“I’m s-sorry I-” Great, he’s already pissing her off before Ahz even had a chance to mention all the treason.

“Ahz?” The woman interrupts when she realizes exactly who she’s yelling at. His accent is unmistakable. “What are you doing here? I wasn’t expecting you.” 

“It’s a long story. Mind if I come in?” The Troll pleads. Standing behind the door is a frail Forsaken woman who can see the panic on his face. She’s quick to accept and opens the door wide. 

He slams it shut behind him and leans back against it to breathe a sigh of relief. “Maureen, I need your help…”

* * *

A whistling kettle squeals for attention. It’s come to a boil atop the iron stove in the Forsaken woman’s small kitchen. Before tending to it she hands Ahz the tiny bundled baby she had been holding at her side. The little Orc offspring looked even smaller and more delicate in Ahz’s huge hands. But the Orphan Matron Maureen trusts the Troll with her children. 

Afterall, he used to be one. 

Unlike many of the unfortunate Forsaken people, Maureen still has most of her skin. She must have been very young when she died to still be in ‘healthy’ enough shape to run around with children all day. Even so, Undeath is wearing away at her. Ahz remembers when he used to live here her hair still had a bit of her natural strawberry-blonde color left in it. Now it’s almost as white as his hair is.

The Orc baby stirs from its rest and starts to whine. Ahz gently sways it back and forth to comfortingly rock it back to sleep. “Hush little tuskling.” He whispers softly. Watching the baby quiet down and drift back to sleep helps take Ahz’s mind off his problems. Even if just for a moment. 

Ahz comes off as the kind of cold and cruel person most expect a Troll to be. But cute kids melt right through those ice walls of his. Maureen is thankful for every time he comes to help with the kids. Now Ahz regrets not coming more often, knowing this will be his last visit.

“Can I get you some tea, dear?” 

Ahz lets out a bitter laugh, “I need some’ting stronger den dat af'der da day I’ve had”

Reaching blindly to the back of a cupboard high out of reach from any of the children, she pulls out a corked glass bottle. “That can be arranged.” She shakes the bottle of well-aged bourbon and smirks. Maureen pours herself a cup of hot tea, and for one of her favorite grown-up-children she fills a cup of alcohol to the brim. She sets both cups down on the kitchen table before taking the blissfully sleeping baby back from Ahz. 

“‘Dank ya, mum.” It has been more than a decade since Ahz lived under Maureen’s roof as one of her orphans, but she still insists Mom fits her better than Ma’am. 

“Now tell me, what’s going on?”

Ahz doesn’t even know where to begin. He needs to take a drink before he can start. And ends up polishing off the cup of booze before he even gets to the part of the story where the crazy little Elf girl tries to drown him.

“Oh Ahz…” She sounds sad. Disappointed. It hurts Ahz to hear. “I always worried your soft heart would be your downfall.”

“I’m such a fuck up. I know. I’m sorry…”

“Don’t be sorry.” Maureen reaches across the table and places her hand on Ahz’s. Such a small gesture but it brings him so much comfort. “You were only doing what you thought was right. Some might fault you for that, but I can’t. I understand.”

“I ‘fought I was doin’ da right t'ing. But I got played like a sucker’.” Ahz pulls away from her touch and clenches his fist in frustration. “She had some kinda crazy strong magic. Nearly killed me wif it den ran off.”

“You mean she’s alone out there somewhere right now!?” It’s not a surprise to Ahz that she seems more upset about the girl than about her trying to drown him. Maureen is as soft hearted as he is. That’s why he trusts her. She isn’t like most of the Forsaken. “Poor thing won't last long out there.”

“I know…” There is a sense of guilt slowly eating away at the back of Ahz’s mind. “Dis is a real big mess I made.”

“You can stay here as long as you need to. We’ll figure it--”

“No!” Ahz refuses. “I won’t drag ya any fer’der inta dis 'den I already have.”

“I always look out for my children. No matter how much trouble they land themselves in.” 

Ahz can't help but smile. He knows he doesn’t deserve this kind of unconditional love. It makes him wonder if Cassius could be as understanding….

A loud bang at the door derails his train of thought. The baby snuggled into Maureen’s arms starts to cry. She locks eyes with Ahz and without a word he knows what she wants him to do. 

The pounding grows louder and more aggressive. Maureen makes her way to the door and cracks to open just enough to growl out, “Excuse me! Do you have any idea what time it is!?”

The moon has just begun its journey across the sky. Although it may not be late for the restless Forsaken, it certainly is for the children in her Orphanage. She has every right to give the two men at her door an indignant scowl. 

They don’t appreciate the tone she’s taking. The two men standing at her doorstep are both high ranking Deathguards who expect nothing but respect from the citizens they serve and protect. Their jobs are dangerous ones, and that’s why they are outfitted in a full set of steel chain link armor, and both have an intimidatingly sharp axe at their side. Giving the woman nothing more than a low growl in response, the guard shoves the door, slamming it open.

A scared shriek comes from the baby bundled in her arms. She puts her arms around it and protectively pulls it closer to her chest.

Neither guard seems to care that they’ve upset the child. “We’re looking for someone.” One of them says while stepping past Maureen. They have no reservations about entering her home uninvited. 

“Well unless you’re looking for more sleeping children to wake up, you’re looking in the wrong place!” 

“You won't get in our way if you really care about those children of yours.” The smaller of the armored men glares at her, and then down at the baby clutched in her arms. She’s worried it’s a threat until he explains, “An armed and dangerous criminal is running around and we have it on good authority that he might be coming here.” Maureen's heart might have been long dead but hearing those words she could feel a tightness in her chest. If that’s really what they think of Ahz she fears they won't hesitate to kill him if they find him. By her standards that poor soft boy was anything but dangerous.

While they spoke, the other guard was snooping around her house. He slips out of her sight, heading for the second floor stairs. She’s eager to follow so she brushes the first guard off with a simple reply, “The children are upstairs, we should go check on them.”

Momma Maureen sent the kids to bed just a bit before Ahz showed up. The three oldest ones; a female Orc and a male Blood Elf and a Troll, had been tasked with putting the other two younger Orc siblings to bed first. Then they were allowed to read a story book as long as they were quiet. Of course the sneaky trio were always looking for ways to get away with more. Their game of tag had gone on unnoticed while Maureen entertained her guest. 

When they hear the creaking of the stairs they’re sure their fun is at an end. The little Orc girl is quick enough to dive into bed and hide under the covers, hoping to dodge a scolding. But her Blood Elf brother isn’t so lucky. He’s caught out of bed, sitting awkwardly on the large wooden chest they kept their toys in, without even a book in his hand to use an excuse. 

But it isn’t Maureen who walks through the door. It’s an armored Forsaken man with an uptight scowl on his face. The Orc girl screams for her Matron Mother, who is rushing up the stairs.

“Leave them alone!” She scolds the guard, whose rotting jawless-face alone is enough to give her children a scare.

“Just a bunch of little brats up here..” He growls to the other guard that joins them in the upstairs bedroom. They’re ready to leave and Maureen thought she could finally breathe a sigh of relief. Until all their attention was drawn to a loud ‘thud.’ It came from the chest beneath the Blood Elf. The guilty look on his little face and shifting eyes only furthered the guard’s suspicion. 

“Move it, boy.” He commands. The little Blood Elf watches with wide eyes as the guard tightens his grasp on the axe at his side. 

“W-wait I uh-” Being stared down by an axe wielding Undead guard is intimidating, it makes the young boy stumble over his words and freeze up. When the Forsaken man reaches him and the chest he’s perched on, he’s not given another chance to move. The guard places bony fingers on the boy’s shoulder and roughly shoves him to the ground.

Maureen curses him out with the baby Orc still screaming in her arms. But there is nothing she can do but watch in horror as he draws back his axe. The old worn hinges creak as he pries open the chest. Flickering lantern light illuminates the shadows inside the large wooden trunk revealing a bunch of kids’ junk, and someone with dark skin and tusks. Matching the description of the perpetrator they are on the hunt for. 

“Tag! Yer it!” The young Troll boy obliviously cheers. Expecting his siblings to be the ones to have found him, not an axe wielding zombie! 

His partner grabs his arm and yanks him back before the impulsive Guard’s axe got anywhere near splitting open the little kid’s skull. “It’s just a kid you incompetent idiot” 

“Get out! Get out of my house!” The Matron Mother’s screams are loud enough to drown out the crying baby. “You could have killed him!” She scolds them both with a fowl glare. 

“Let's go.” The Deathguard gives the other a well deserved smack to the helmet before they leave behind the mess they’ve made. 

The young Orc girl takes her crying baby brother from Maureen and hushes him. All the fussing has woken up the two other children. Their big sister joins them in bed, still lovingly cradling the youngest in her arms. The Forsaken woman falls to her knees in front of her two boys and opens her arms to them. The Blood Elf hugs her tight as his Troll brother climbs out from the chest wondering out loud, “What's ‘der problem…” He doesn’t get an answer, instead Maureen just pulls him close and kisses his head. She doesn’t think he understands just how close he came to almost losing it…

“Where’s Ahz?” Maureen is thankful the Guards didn’t find him, knowing now that they are ready to spill blood over all this. 

“Right ‘ere.” Ahz’s Matron Mother is so glad to see that dumb grin on his face. He’s hanging out of the open window. There is a protruding stone ledge that frames the house. As soon as he heard the guards coming up the stairs he jumped out the window and clung to it. A much better hiding spot than a toy box would have been. 

Getting back in through the window ends up being a lot less graceful than sneaking out. He nearly falls on his face, but at least it gets a laugh out of the kids. Maureen is still feeling shaken from the whole experience, but the kids seem to think it was all a joke. Ahz goes along with it, for their sake.

“Did you see what happened, Ahzy?” 

“It was so scary.” 

“Pretty sure that guy was gonna scalp him.”

“Sorry ‘bout dat little bro'der, didn’t mean ta get ya in trouble.” Ahz ruffles his little mane. He forces a smile for them, but the truth is, if any of these kids had gotten hurt over him, he would have never been able to forgive himself. 

“Nah, I coulda’ taken em’” The little Troll boy flexes non-existent muscles and they all giggle. 

Maureen is silent. She stares out the window. Ahz’s smile fades as he joins her. “I’m sorry.” He whispers to her. She stays silent but places a hand on Ahz’s chest. No matter what crimes they claim he’s committed, he would always be one of her children. 

From the second-story window they can see over the walls that border Brill. Something out in the field catches both their attention. A guard carrying a lantern runs outs from the forest in a panic. He shouts for his cohorts’ attention. It’s audible enough for them to make out what they're saying. 

‘I think I found something’ 

‘The Troll?’

‘No. An Elf.”’

The group of three armored men race off into the Forest. Ahz feels his chest tighten along with Maureen's grip on him. 

“Go find her Ahz, before they do.” 

He doesn’t need to be told, he’s ready to jump out the window and chase them down. 

“Bring her back here? We’ll figure out what to do. Together.”


End file.
